


Passing Notes

by undercovercarisi



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: AU, Everyone Is Alive, Fluffy fic, M/M, Noah is a matchmaker, adam is a baker, no magic, ronan is a single dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-02
Updated: 2019-02-01
Packaged: 2019-09-05 20:50:58
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,333
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16818262
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/undercovercarisi/pseuds/undercovercarisi
Summary: The leftover spots of flour mixed with the dirt colored freckles on his face. His eyes lifted from the rolls to meet eyes with Ronan through the glass. Something about the way he looked drew Ronan in. At that moment, Ronan remembered how painfully alone he had been for so long. He dragged his eyes away from the glass, maintaining a look of disinterest. Gansey waited expectantly for an answer from Ronan.--AU where Adam is a baker in a cute little bakery and Ronan is a single dad.





	1. Passing Notes

_ The Bakers Room _ bakery sat in a little crevice between a fancy bridal shop and a community garden. It was an elegant brick building, accented with earthy tones. The tall windows opened up to show a tiny sitting area with wooden chairs and tables. The natural light attracted the usual hipster and local wanderers. 

Ms. Dorothy, the owner, was an ancient woman who sat behind the counter most days. She had an enchanting smile and the most contagious laugh. She was riddled with laughter lines and wrinkles. She wore bright colors and dyed her hair wild colors to keep up with the times. She had a knack for picking up strays. Her strays ranged from cats to dogs to even people sometimes. That’s how she came across her head baker; Adam Parrish.

Adam Parrish was a baker extraordinaire. He found a way out of his home to the shoebox apartment above  _ The Bakers Room _ . Ms. Dorothy had welcomed him with open arms and helped him learn the process of baking bread, rolls, cupcakes, cakes, donuts, and everything else under the sun. 

Adam Parrish had found solace in the back of the bakery. He had silence in his own little world and he liked it that way. He had broken from the repeating cycle of destruction. After Aglionby, Adam had been so used to this struggle for power. He had assumed the world was always a big struggle for power. But Adam found  _ The Bakers Room  _ and this place of comfort. He found happiness in the way people reacted to their baked goods. People were constantly in a steady flow in and out of  _ The Bakers Room _ .

Today though, Adam felt like the world was testing him. Inside  _ The Bakers Room _ , the sound of classical music wafted through the air of the bakery, mingling with the smell of fresh rolls. His only coworker, Blue Sargent, sat behind the counter. She flipped through a magazine while popping her bubble gum. Ms. Dorothy was plating rolls behind the glass. She bobbed to the sound of classical music.  _ The Bakers Room  _ was filled with students glued to their computers and women meeting over coffee. Adam had spent the morning shifting the displays back and forth. He had struggled with remaking a few orders that had been ruined by the baker on the other shift. Adam picked up the tray of chocolate rolls and balanced it on his shoulder, heading towards the front of the shop.

The bell above the front door chimed in warning. Adam hardly paid notice as he slithered behind the counter secretly. He was more focused on his job than who came in and out. Adam found peace in the back of the bakery. He had nobody in his way; more occupied in the art of baking than making conversation with the people who came in. 

Adam slid into the spot next to Ms. Dorothy, crouching down to arrange each of the rolls on their respective plates.

* * *

Ronan Lynch was an anomaly. Seeing him outside the Barns was a wonder. He had spent most of his time there without question. He had Opal and his mother, Aurora, there. That was enough. That’s all he needed. On Sundays, Declan and Matthew spent their days there for church and their weekly family dinners. On other days, Gansey and Noah would often pop in and catch up.

Raising a five-year-old was a messy process that required constant attention. Ronan was thankful for Aurora and all her help. She alleviated the struggle a little. Ronan was getting used to the help and asking.

But having Aurora there often meant she was trying to get him out of the house. She promised to take care of Opal as long as he just  _ got out _ . So when Gansey had shown up that morning with Noah, he was shoved out the door. They were going to check out a new bookstore and then get coffee.

“We’re going to check out this place called The Bakers Room. Gansey’s been here a few times. He always talks and talks about the girl behind the counter. I think they exchanged numbers last time Gansey was here, finally. ” Noah remarked to Ronan, giving his arm a small nudge.

Ronan just shook his head, following Gansey as he had been so used to. Ronan was known for his devotion to his friend. Through high school, until he dropped out, he had heard the snarky remarks about being his guard dog. Ronan never occupied the thought for long. Before he could comment, Gansey was pushing open the door to the bakery. The smell of cakes and frosting flooded into his nose. He followed Gansey over to the counter. Gansey exchanged pleasantries with the girl behind the counter. They spoke like old friends; but if Noah was right, they were. Ronan's eyes caught on a dusty brown haired boy kneeling behind the glass display case. 

"Do you want anything Ronan?" Gansey glanced over his shoulder.

The leftover spots of flour mixed with the dirt colored freckles on his face. His eyes lifted from the rolls to meet eyes with Ronan through the glass. Something about the way he looked drew Ronan in. At that moment, Ronan remembered how painfully alone he had been for so long. He dragged his eyes away from the glass, maintaining a look of disinterest. Gansey waited expectantly for an answer from Ronan.

Ronan cleared his throat, "No, I'm fine." 

Ronan caught the heart eyes Gansey tossed at the girl working the register. Her hair was in a choppy cut with multicolored clips protruding from her hair. Her outfit was stitched together in messy seams. Ronan was paid close attention to the seams. He had spent a couple years watching his mother stitch clothes together with neat seams when a tear or patch seemed to fall off. He had watched her delicate fingers work over Opal's jeans again and again with mismatched patches. Noah had obviously caught on to both the boys staring at the workers here. He was barely able to hold back his laughter as he watched this awkward encounter between the four of them in the shop.

The three boys settled in a booth. The leather peeled away from age beneath them. Gansey and Noah nursed coffee with a bagel they had also ordered. Ronan's eyes searched everywhere except the boy behind the counter. He cast his eyes outside the shop, staring at the cars parked along the road.

"Are you pretending that didn't happen? Anyone could have felt the connection between you two-" Noah laughed, taking a swig of his drink.

Ronan shook his head, rolling his eyes. Noah knew it was his time to play matchmaker. He leaned across and grabbed a napkin from the holder sitting on the table. He dug around in Gansey's bag until he found a pen. Noah scribbled down a little note. 

_ Baker-  _

_ My friend ronan is very gay and very single. He thinks you're cute but he is absolute shit with words.  _

Noah walked away from the booth. He walked over to the display case where the baker was standing up from the display. Noah passed the note to the boy with a charming smile. The baker glanced past Noah to the table. Despite his composure, the tips of his ears turned pink as he glanced back at the note. Noah walked back over to the table.

"There we go-" Noah plopped back into the seat.

"You realize I don't date right-" Ronan turned to face Noah, "Like I have a child. I don't think young guys want to date when they find out I have a kid. She occupies a lot of my time-"

The bickering went back and forth between Noah and Ronan. Their bickering occupied the two of them from anything outside of their little conversation. It lacked any heat. Noah just kept pleading for Ronan to get out there. Ronan had been apprehensive to date again. He had taken in Opal in a split second decision after seeing her. She was adopted after Ronan had been working at a church event where they had orphaned children. He had fallen in love with the lively spirit and quickly adopted her. He was in love with the little girl. She was everything he wanted. He hadn't been ready to date after adopting her. He was scared that she'd feel threatened or he'd bring someone in that he wasn't sure about. Their bickering continued over why Ronan should date and why it was best he didn't. 

The pair missed the ghost of a boy rush past their table. He set a napkin down with messy handwriting before disappearing into the back door. He disappeared into the silence of his kitchen. Gansey caught sight of the napkin, reading over it first.

"Ronan-" Gansey interrupted. 

Ronan looked up at Gansey. His eyes caught on the napkin. Noah snatched it first, reading it with a small smirk. Noah slapped the napkin down in front of Ronan.

_ shaved head, right? you're right he's very cute. i'm also very single and bisexual. but I don't do well on setups. if he's interested he should let me know. -adam _

The name stared at him with a sort of promise. Adam. The name was definitely perfect. Ronan bit back his smile. He wouldn't give his friends the satisfaction of that. Ronan glanced at Noah.

"Fine, you win." Ronan shrugged.


	2. Unknown Territory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam was early for the date. He was early for everything it seemed. He sat patiently in the booth at the pizza joint. In the pit of his stomach, the fear of being set up burned. He tapped away at his phone, sending a message to Blue. She had warned him of the horrors of dating and how everything could be potentially screwed. Adam glanced up as Ronan was sliding into the booth across from him. He took a second to take him in. Something about Ronan up close made him reconsider every idea that had crossed his mind in the bakery a week ago. When Adam had first seen him, his mind had gone into the initial bisexual panic. He had been caught completely off-guard by the man in the shop. Today, he was a little more prepared but his heart still started to pound against his chest.

It had officially marked a week and a half since the note fiasco in the bakery. Ronan had walked away with the cute baker's number. He had spent most of his free time texting with Adam. It had felt so foreign to be so glued to his phone but they seemed like old friends and everything just fell perfectly. Ronan had spent so long sharing so much with Adam; as much as he could when he wasn’t too good with trusting strangers. He had kept a few secrets to himself- especially about Opal.

Opal stood on the coffee table, screeching out the lyrics to the Disney soundtrack Ronan had playing from the television as loud as she could. Her shrill voice bounced off the walls, masking the voice of the cartoon. Ronan stood in the doorway, watching her with evident amusement. She was a ball of energy, even when Ronan lacked it. Although Opal was adopted, she was the mirror image of Ronan. Her quick wit and sarcastic tone always shocked Aurora into remembering when her son was that age. Opal highlighted independent five-year-old fashion. She wore a blue sundress with heavy rainboots. She was at the age where she wanted only to dress however she wanted and Ronan let her. Ronan pushed off the doorway, walking over to the table and quickly scooping the little girl up. She erupted with squeals.

“What have we said about standing on tables?” He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Discipline never quite came easily to Ronan. He didn’t quite know how to discipline such a wild girl. She liked running through the fields and climbing trees. Ronan allowed her the freedom of chasing her fantasies while he sat on the porch.

“Don’t do it while Grandma Aurora is in the house.” Opal parrotted in her best Ronan-esque voice.

“Exactly,” Ronan gave her a sharp smile.

Aurora lurked in the kitchen. She had her newest project laid out in front of her. She was patching bright colored fabric to the holes of Opal’s jeans to give her a little more flare. She shook her head, hearing her son and granddaughter in the living room. Motherhood had aged Aurora beautifully. Her face was riddled with gentle laughter lines and smiles always graced her lips. She was the gentlest touch in all of her children’s chaos. She calmed their storms.

Ronan let Opal down so she could bolt into the kitchen. Her clunky purple rainboots bounced against the tile as she slid next to the table to look at Aurora’s work.

Ronan dragged himself from his thoughts as his phone chirped.

**_from Adam;_ **

**_still on for tonight?_ **

Ronan took in a small breath. Maintain calm, don’t look too desperate. He waited exactly two minutes before sending a response. He had an image to maintain.

**_to Adam;_ **

**_obviously_ **

_Excellent. Nonchalant._ Ronan complimented himself and slid his phone into his pocket. He wasn’t quite good with the whole dating scene. Many people in their twenties wanted nothing but a quick one night stand but Ronan wasn’t quite in that mindset. He wanted someone nice. He wanted someone to come home with him. Ronan glanced into the kitchen. Opal was occupied with chatting Aurora’s ear off. Ronan quickly slipped up the steps, going towards his bedroom.

_What to wear on a date?_

* * *

Sundays were the only days that Adam didn’t spend sitting in the kitchen of the bakery. He had become so used to the feeling of sitting there for hours while bread started to rise and cupcakes cooled. He had become so accustomed to spending his time there while he wasn’t studying.

Adam, in his free time, had come around to online school. He had plans of going to a real university when the time came but right now this worked. He had attended countless baking classes with Ms. Dorothy that baking has become his profession. He always wanted the safety net of more education though. He was always the go-getter.

But today was his day off and the day of his first date in what felt like years. He laid against the plain grey bedsheets of his bed. His blankets and pillows bunched around the edges of the bed. He watched as Blue pulled apart his closet for the fifth time today.

“Where are you going for your date?” Blue asked, pulling a beige knit sweater from the closet.

“Pizza I think,” Adam picked up his phone.

After unlocking his phone, he came to the Instagram homepage. The first photo to appear happened to be one of Gansey's, Blue’s presidential crush, and Noah, the smudgy boy at the bakery with Ronan. Adam had been bombarded with the two requests to follow his private account not long after his number was exchanged with Ronan. He was sure that they had done some grade a searching to find his account.

But Adam had done his own searching, hoping to find more about Ronan in his search. It seemed like a safe enough idea. Dating made him weary so he wanted to make sure that he wasn’t going on a date with a serial killer. It felt logical enough to him and Blue. All he found though was blurry pictures around bonfires or Gansey posting pictures of their high school days. Adam noticed rather quickly they had gone to Aglionby; the prestigious all-boys school that had been a dream of Adam’s all throughout his younger years. He hadn’t gone. He had missed a cut-off and missed his chance to go. He had faded into the background at his public school and attended classes in order to graduate.

“Pizza?” Blue asked, raising her eyebrow.

She tossed the beige sweater onto the desk chair before pulling out a forest green sweater. She dug around in his drawers for light wash blue jeans. They were worn thin from wear and tear. He rarely went clothes shopping, instead deciding to wear the same clothes from years ago. He never found an issue with that.

“It seemed more our style. I think neither of us has been on a date in forever, ”

* * *

Adam was early for the date. He was early for everything it seemed. He sat patiently in the booth at the pizza joint. In the pit of his stomach, the fear of being set up burned. He tapped away at his phone, sending a message to Blue. She had warned him of the horrors of dating and how everything could be potentially screwed. Adam glanced up as Ronan was sliding into the booth across from him. He took a second to take him in. Something about Ronan up close made him reconsider every idea that had crossed his mind in the bakery a week ago. When Adam had first seen him, his mind had gone into the initial bisexual panic. He had been caught completely off-guard by the man in the shop. Today, he was a little more prepared but his heart still started to pound against his chest.

The two boys hit it off easily over pizza. They talked about nothing and everything all at once. Adam didn’t overstep, noticing when things got too tense in conversation. The pizza was greasy but delicious. Adam had never come to such an informal first date. Ronan was relaxed and Adam saw through his bad-boy exterior everytime Ronan mentioned his mother or church or any of his hobbies as a farmer.

Adam swapped stories of Ms. Dorothy, the vibrant haired owner of the bakery, and Blue. He spoke of the stray cats that lingered in the fire escape of his apartment that he tried to feed all the time. Ronan shared stories of his mother and his brothers, telling him about farm animals and the work he does with them. They spoke for what seemed like hours.

* * *

The fluorescent lights of the pizza place bounced off Adam’s face as he leaned against his car, Ronan standing just a few inches away from him. Adam gave him a small lopsided smile. He felt like this was some sort of romantic movie where the man was coming to sweep him off his feet.

“I really had a fun time tonight,” Adam mentioned, brushing his hair out of his face.

“I did too,” Ronan sounded hesitant.

“You don’t sound like it,” Adam bit his lip, suddenly worrying again.

“Okay. I have to be honest with you,” Ronan glanced around, “I have a five-year-old daughter. She’s adopted but I didn’t want to say anything right away.. I sorta wanted to see how this played out and I totally understand if that’s not your thing-”

Adam listened to the rambling, biting his lip, “Ronan that’s cool. At least I think it is. It’s great you have a kid. Is this your way of saying you don’t want to see me cause you’re too busy?”

“What-” Ronan shook his head, both boys trying to talk over each other at once, “No I was just saying that if you want to make this a thing you should know.”

Adam nodded, silencing himself. They stood in awkward silence for a minute before glancing around. Adam bit his lip.

“I think this is goodnight. I’ll see you around?” Adam took his turn sounding unsure.

“If you want to keep seeing me, I’ll definitely see you around. Maybe I can cook for you next time instead of eating shitty pizza,” Ronan gave a dangerous laugh.

Everything about Ronan screamed sharp and scary. But Adam didn’t believe that at all. To him, Ronan seemed soft and rounded around the edges. Nothing about him struck Adam as dangerous.

“I’d like that a lot. I’ll text you.”

Adam got into his car, watching Ronan get into his. He slowly pulled away, heading for his apartment with a million thoughts buzzing in his head. Dating seemed like such a big deal. But dating someone with a kid was even bigger. Adam took a second to breathe. He liked Ronan. He matched his wit and sarcasm and broke him into fits of laughter whenever. He could do this. It wasn’t like he was stepping into another parenting role.

* * *

That night, Ronan laid in the twin sized bed with Opal. She flipped through the pages of the book with him.

“How was your date?” Opal asked, looking up at him with big tired eyes.

“It was good. I told him all about you. I think he’s coming around soon,” Ronan flipped another page.

“Grandma said we’d have to embarrass him when you bring him around.” Opal yawned into her pajama sleeve.

“I wouldn’t accept any less.” Ronan got off the bed, turning off the lamp next to it.

He maneuvered his way into the hallway, closing the door with a soft click. He hoped that things would be as good as he wanted them to be. Everything seemed so perfect. He wanted to maintain this moment.


	3. Maybe This Christmas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ronan stood in the doorway. He wore an obnoxious Christmas sweater. It was covered in tinsel, glitter, and a few baubles were knitted on. The words JOLLY AS FUCK stood out against the green fabric in bright red letters. Adam held back a snicker.
> 
> “Not a word Parrish.” Ronan crossed his arms, “This is what happened when you have a five-year-old. You wear ugly sweaters and pretend to like it.”

In the past few months, Adam and Ronan had been going out. They hadn’t exactly called each other _boyfriends_ but they were often going out on dates and sometimes Ronan would pop up; somedays Opal was with him, others he was with Gansey and Noah. Adam would pop out of the bakery and flirt back and forth with Ronan over the counter. They were grossly cute in Noah’s words. As time went on, Gansey and Blue seemed to hit it off too. Enough that Blue had gone as far to go on a date with him. It was something fancy and extravagant; too much like Gansey and nothing like Blue. Adam had laughed at the story until his stomach hurt.

The Holiday’s were starting to approach as time went on. For Adam, the holidays had never been anything special. He worked his days all the same. Christmas lights strung around the bakery and the obnoxious Christmas music filled each of the crevices of the shop. Adam noticed the air become thick with the laughter of families and the hole in his heart that was unfilled by a proper family grew larger.

Adam plated another tray of sugar cookies. Ms. Dorothy stood at the end of the counter, talking adamantly like one of her many children. Ms. Dorothy had mothered five kids total and now had at least ten grandkids. She loved that family aspect. The photo above the counter showed that. The photo of the shop opening held Ms. Dorothy in the front of the shop with all her kids hanging off her arms. Blue picked at the snowflakes that hung in front of her face. The cheery Christmas music burned into Adam’s brain again and again.

With the lightest dusting of snow, people had hovered into their homes. The shop was slow and quiet. Adam plated the last of the cookies before disappearing into the back of the shop. He looked at the basket sitting across the counter. He had made a basket of bread and Christmas cookies for Ronan. He had been waiting for Ronan to come by this week. Adam occupied his time with kneading bread, ignoring the sounds of chatter from the front room of the bakery. The bell chimed as someone came in; hoping for solace from the chilled air. Adam threw himself into the bread, trying to block out the lyrics of Baby It’s Cold Outside for the fourth time today with the fourth singer covering the original. The door next into the kitchen banged open. Adam looked up from his metal table. When Adam was working, he always stood around the table so his hearing ear was facing the door. He wanted to hear those who came in and out. In his time with Ronan, Ronan had also picked up on the way Adam would sit with him on his hearing side. Adam found no reason to hide this from anyone anymore. He had explained that an accident had left him deaf from his teenage years. He had learned to accept it and found no reason to hide from his past.

Ronan stood in the doorway. He wore an obnoxious Christmas sweater. It was covered in tinsel, glitter, and a few baubles were knitted on. The words **JOLLY AS FUCK** stood out against the green fabric in bright red letters. Adam held back a snicker.

“Not a word Parrish.” Ronan crossed his arms, “This is what happened when you have a five-year-old. You wear ugly sweaters and pretend to like it.”

Adam smiled fondly. He pulled the metal bowl over, placing the bread into the bowl. He put it aside, looking over at Ronan.

“What brings you around? I’m sure you’re not allowed to be back here.”

Ronan looked around, ignoring Adam’s comment. He leaned against the counter. Adam knew that Ronan would be walking around with flour against the black jeans for the rest of the night.

“Opal was wondering if you wanted to come out to the barns for Christmas. I don’t care if you do or not but Opal kept asking.” Ronan tried to be nonchalant.

Opal had come to the shop a few times. She adored Adam. He often would slip her a few extra cookies or another roll. She was the sweetest kid with Rona’s wit. Adam really liked sitting with her and Ronan while they were there. Opal had also taken a liking to Adam and often sent little trinkets with Ronan for Adam.

On their last date, Ronan had asked about the Holidays after he told the story of finding a Christmas tree. Adam had taken the moment to explain to Ronan a little more of his background. Ronan had gotten a look in his eyes that Adam had never seen. He should’ve expected this at this point. Adam bit his lip.

“I mean I don’t want to impose on your family,” Adam said softly.

His plans for the holiday happened to be sitting in his apartment. He had a scrawny little tree up there that sat in the corner of the room. It wasn’t anything fancy. He had put some twinkling lights in his window that can be seen from the streets. It was nothing spectacular. He planned to sit in front of the tree, watch movie reruns, and eat leftovers. He could imagine the family that would come from the Lynch’s. They seemed to be so homey.

Ronan cocked his eyebrow, “You should come. Opal wants you. My mom would love to meet you.”

And that's how Adam found himself at the Barns. The Barns were the definition of holiday magic. His car parked at the end of the driveway. He had a feeling it was more than just Aurora, Opal, and Ronan. Adam shut the door, pushing it harder to make sure the door clicked shut. He glanced out at all the property. He looked up to the house. Silhouettes wandered through the house. Adam took a deep breath before walking up onto the porch. The steps creaked under his feet.

Adam got one knock on the door before it flung open. Opal stood in the doorway with a charming Lynch smile. Opal grabbed Adam’s hand, tugging him into the house.

“Adam!” Opal giggled, pulling him into the entry day.

Ronan appeared in the kitchen doorway.

“Hey, Parrish.” Ronan walked over, “get lost pest.”

Opal let go of Adam before bolting off to the kitchen. Adam looked at Ronan, biting on his lip. The sound of laughter boiled through the house with the air of conversation. Adam offered Ronan the basket of baked goods. Ronan took it so Adam could take off his shoes and jacket.

“Who else is here? There seems to be a lot of cars here..” Adam glanced around.

“My brothers and Gansey are here.” Ronan led Adam to the kitchen.

Aurora Lynch stood among the chaos of boys. She wore a vibrant red dressed with a white belt to mimic a female Santa outfit. Opal was at her side with a green dress, a golden bow hanging off her ponytail. The boys were wrapped around the table with conversation. The conversation died as the people in the kitchen noticed the stranger.

Aurora set down the bowl she was holding. She approached with a charming smile. She wasn’t as dangerous as Ronan looked. She looked golden among the array of people in the house. She reached out her hand, giving Adam’s a delicate shake.

“Thank you so much for joining us Adam, I’ve heard so much about you,” She was gentle and soft-spoken, unlike Ronan had been.

“Thank you for having me,” Adam grabbed the basket of baked goods from Ronan, “I brought this for you from the bakery I work at ma’am.”

She took the basket and moved it towards the counter. She placed it among the wide array of food.

Ronan took Adam’s hand and introduced him to the boys among the table. Declan sat at the head of the table, sipping on wine while Matthew chatted animatedly with Gansey. Ronan sipped a beer, leaning on the table. Adam stuck to his side all throughout dinner.

The night went smoothly. The house was full of laughter and conversation. They swapped stories under the Christmas lights. Aurora was enamored with Adam. She asked so many questions about his work and his future. She kept him entertained. As the night dwindled, the conversation slowed. Adam excused himself from the living room. He slipped into the kitchen, standing on the back porch. The chilled air nipped at his skin. Adam stood there quietly, staring out at the animals on the property. He wanted a second to breathe from the house. Adam leaned against the railing. The back door opened, the wreath hanging on it jingled against the window.

“Parrish?” Ronan walked over to the railing.

“Yeah?” Adam turned so he could look at him.

The kitchen light draped across the porch and lit up the sharp edges of Ronan’s face. He looked soft in the yellowed lights. Ronan took a step closer. He gently took Adam’s hand, pulling him into a soft kiss, the little flakes of snow falling around them over the barn.

In the window of the door, Gansey and Opal had their faces near the glass. Aurora stood a few feet back in the kitchen, watching with a small smile.

“You two leave them alone,” Her honey soft voice, shooed the pair away from the doorway.

She slipped out the kitchen behind them, leaving Ronan and Adam in peace outside. She glanced at the living room. Everyone sat around in peace. All was well at the Barns.

Adam and Ronan pulled apart. Ronan pressed his forehead against Adam’s.

Ronan, in his teen years, had been a mess of hatred and anger. He was used to the struggle of anger that ran through his bones. When he decided to adopt Opal, life had become softer. He had left his tiny one bedroom apartment to move back to the barns with his mom. He had left all the anger behind and tried to mold himself into the best he could be. He had a misshapen skill of being a father. He swore too much and sometimes became self-destructive in racing through the empty streets of Henrietta. But he was getting softer in his age.

“So what are we?” Adam asked, shattering the soft mood.

“I thought this was a relationship,” Ronan asked, pulling his face back.

“You didn’t ask,” Adam reminded with a look of confusion.

“I thought it was obvious-” Ronan gestured between them, “You are so smart but couldn’t realize this was a relationship?”

“Oh shut up-” Adam pulled Ronan down for another kiss.

Ronan pulled away, “For future reference, I think being a couple would work for us.”

Adam knew that this meant they were a couple. And for once, he didn’t hate the thought of that.

“Let’s go inside, I’m freezing my ass off here.” Ronan led Adam into the house.

They hovered in the kitchen, sharing sweet looks with one another. The holidays were alive here. Adam was happy that this would be a Christmas to remember. Between the terrible barren holidays he had grown up with and the lonely holidays of the past few years, this was one that he’d remember with happiness. Adam looked up as Opal came bouncing in. She attacked Adam’s legs with a hug. Adam ruffled her hair with a smile.

“Thank you for coming to our house Adam!” She giggled.

“Of course Opal. I couldn’t miss out on my favorite people.” Adam glanced up at Ronan, who stood with a tiny smile on his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not sure if I want to make this multiple parts or not.


End file.
